WHY BLACK NIGERIAN WOMEN TURN LIGHT SKINNED!

The general image of the “ideal” woman tells you that if you don’t meet certain standards, you’re not good enough. And then products are sold, treatments, and surgeries to help you achieve that.

Cosmetics, make-up, skin-toning, lashes, tummy tucking, enlargement, reduction, expansion, the list goes on. Beauty is big business.

Bottom line, there are many reasons why beautiful black Nigerian women bleach, and that is to be accepted.

When people of color become blonder, whiter and narrow out their facial features to look more “beautiful” or more “glamorous” it sends the message that in order to look  beautiful and glamorous you have to abandon all those wonderful features that expose your “ethnicness.” How many famous black actresses or singers are dark skinned in proportion to lighter skinned? How many have afros? How many have wide noses? The pressure to look a certain way exists for everyone regardless of race and especially for women. Nevertheless, when there is such a lack of representation for minorities you’d think those who  make it through the golden gates  would actually want to appear as a minority. Beauty is not defined by hair, noses and skin color – so why is it that those who are regarded as universally beautiful are marked by their specifically Anglo features?

Photo credit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

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About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.